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"As this evocative picture book begins, a little boy is excited about a trip to the beach with his parents planned for the following day. But a bad storm is coming, and he has started to worry they won't be able to go. He watches as the sky grows darker through the afternoon. His mother and father close the shutters and bring the potted plants indoors. Then the storm arrives. “All through dinner, the rain beats hard against the shutters. The wind howls and blows,” the boy says. “I try not to be scared.” At bedtime, he thinks, “I wish I had a ship with big propellers that would spin stronger winds to drive the storm away.” While asleep, his wish becomes his dream, and he manages to blow away the dark clouds with his imaginary vessel. Then, to his delight, when he awakens, he finds his dream of clear blue skies has come true --… (more)
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User reviews
This is a great book to use when dealing with disappointment and fears. it is also a great book for teachers to use when teaching about text-to-self connections as they read. The Storm will make a great addition to school and class libraries.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Originally published in Japan in 2009, and then in this English edition in 2016, The Storm was author/illustrator Akiko Miyakoshi's first picture-book. I found the artwork, done in graphite, absolutely gorgeous. The tone here is somewhat darker I think, than in Miyakoshi's two other translated picture-books - The Tea Party in the Woods and The Way Home in the Night - no doubt because it is entirely done in black and white, save for the final scene, whereas those others utilize color accents throughout. The effect is still quite appealing, and makes the final scene with blue skies all the more effective. I enjoyed the dream sequences here, with the flying ship, and (naturally) I found the boy's cat adorable. Recommended to Miyakoshi fans, and to anyone looking for children's stories about storms and/or dreams.